Pocket-moistener.



G. GERDOM.

POCKET M01.STENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1917.

1,244,974. I Patented Oct. 30,1917.

k; lg anon Ito:

QRMMM (2 re 01 zerdazzz e. g5 l f 5 GREGORY GERDOM, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK,

PDCKET-MOISTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 3%., 1917.

Application filed Apri126, 1917. Serial No. 164,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GREGORY GERDOM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Watervliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket- Moisteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devices to be used for moistening the flaps of envelops, stamps and the like, and more particularly to devices of this character which are adapted to be carried easily in a pocket and which are so constructed as to avoid any possibility of leakage of the fluid contained within the moistener.

The general type of devices of this character in use at the present time employ a reservoir having a valve member at its discharge end normally held closed by a spring so that when it is desired to moisten the flap of an envelop or the like, the flap is pressed against the valve member at the end of the reservoir, pressing the same inwardly and discharging the fluid as desired. This is extremely undesirable as it has been found that too much fluid will be discharged when the valve is pressed inwardly and it is difficult to regulate the flow of the same. lit is the primary object, therefore, of my invention to provide a device of this character in which only a small portion of fluid may be discharged when the spreading member located at the end of the reservoir is actuated. The spreading member is so disposed that it may be utilized to spread fluid over the articles to which it is desired to apply the same without in any way actuating the valve contained within the reservoir until it is desired to do so.

A secondary object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which is constructed with all parts readily removable and accessible and which is'provided with positive means to eliminate any possibility of the fluid leading from the reservoir or container.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple and cheap to manufacture, and which is most eiiicient in operation.

With these and other objects in view which will appear from the description,'my

invention resides in the novel construction, combination and-arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved moistener, the lower end thereof being partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view through the same;

Fig. 3 isa horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a similar sectional view on the line 4 4c of Fig. 2.

Describing my invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the improved moistener comprises a cylindrical reservoir casing 1 having a conical reduced end 2 provided with a discharge aperture 3 at the apex thereof and having its opposite end open and internally threaded above the annular shoulder a to receive therein a closure cap 5 for detachable engagement therewith. In its im roved form the casing is substantially in t e shape of the well known fountain pen and the conically reduced discharge end is provided with the usual form of cap 6 to be applied thereover and prevent any injury to the discharge end of the casing. When in use, the cap 6 may be removed and applied over the closure cap 5 if so desired.

Going-more particularly into the details of the component parts of the invention, it will be seen that the body 1 of the container casing has suitably secured therein at spaced intervals a air of spiders 7 which are in the form of perforated disks and which have connected therebetween a guide tube 8 extending longitudinally in the casing and adapted to receive and guide therethrough a valve stem 9 which project beyond the open end of the casing and which is provided at its opposite end in the reduced end portion of the casing with a. valve 10 adapted to be seated on the conical reduced walls of the casing at a point spaced inwardly from the discharge aperture 3 to provide a chamber 11 in which a separable member 12, in this instance comprising a ball, butmay be of any suitable moisture retaining material, is loosely mounted. Secured to the valve 10 and surrounding the same to act as a packing therefor is a strip '13 of rubber or other suitable packing material to prevent any leakage of the fluid contained in the casing. I

The separable member 12 is loosely positioned in the chamber 11 and extends slightly beyond the casing through the discharge aperture so that it may be readily rotated and is free of movement therein. Sufficient clearness is provided between the ball 12 and the valve 10 so that normally when the moistener is applied and theball rolled over the body to which it is desired to apply the fluid, the ball will be free to rotate within the chamber and aperture so as not to engage with the valve 10. The valve and ball are so disposed, however, that when it is desired to discharge a portion of the fluid upon the spreader and upon a direct inward pressure being applied to the ball 12, it will be forced inwardly a suiiicient distance to cause the'valve 10 to be lifted from its seat and thereby deliver a portion of the contents of the casing on the surface of the spreader.

The closure cap 5 for the opposite end of the casing is of the shape indicated in Fig. 2 and is provided with a longitudinally extending centrally located socket M to receive therein the extended end of the valve stem 9 when the cap is engaged over the open end of the casing. A rubber gasket or other suitable packing 15 is secured at the end of'the' socket by means of a shoulder 16 engagedwith an annularrecess formed inthe end "of the cap and surrounds theextending portion of the {stem 9 to act as a packing therefor and prevent any leakage of thefluid in the casing into the socket in the cap. The gasket 15 is retained in position by means of a washer 17 0'1 rubberand a sheet brass washer 18'supervide an eficient packing for the cap when posedthereover and secured to the cap by means of fastening screws 19 extending thereinto as clearly. illustrated in Fig. 2. The washer 17 is suficiently large to prothe same is threaded into the upper ended the casing and will provide positivemeans to prevent any leakage of the fluid within the casing.- Suitably, secured to the stem 9 and spaced inwardly from the open end of the casing is a washer or collar 20 and a -coil expansion spring 21 is disposed around the stem betweenthe washer 20 and the brass washer 18 on theend of the cap when the same is applied to provide a means for forcing the valve downwardly into engagement with its seat in the reduced endportion of the casing. The spiders or disks are perforated to allow tree-circulation of the fluid within the casing. j p

In the operation of my moistener, the cap 5 is removed from the open end of the casing andthes'ame" is then filled with the insan /e the article and it is merely necessary toexert a slight pressure on the ball at the end of the casing which will cause the same to lift the valve 10 from its seat, thereby permitting a portion of the contents of the container to he delivered on the surface of the ball and when the pressure isreleased, the

valve will return to its seated position and tfhe moistener may be then operated as beore.

While I have described the spreader member as being a ball inthis improved form of my invention, 1 do not wish to limit myself to this construction as it is obvious that I may employ any suitable construction of spreader member as will accomplish the same result, and furthermore, while I have described and shown in the accompanying drawings certain specific details entering into the construction and operation of my invention, 1 do not desire to limit myself to these but I intend that anysuch changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim 1. A. device of the character described comprising a reservoir having a substan tially conical discharge end, a spreader member loosel engaged in said end and extending slight y therebeyond, a valve seated in said end and spaced slightly from said spreader member, whereby when said memher is pressed inwardl reservoir to hold the valve normally closed, the spacebetween said valve and spreader member being suficient to permit said memberto be freely moved in said endand without engaging said valve. I 2. A device of the character described comprising a cylindrical reservoir having a closed end and a conical reduced end prothe valve will be ,lifted to deliver a portion of the fluid containedwithin thereservoir, a spring in said vided with a discharge aperture at the apex,

' a valve in said reservoir to seaton the Walls 'oi said, reduced end and spaced inwardly released, the spreader may be moved'ffreely when seated, spaced sudciently' from the j spreader so that when pressure thereon is r se within the discharge aperture and chamber to apply fluid to objects as desired without opening the valve.

3. A device of the character described comprising a, cylindrical reservoir casing having a closed end, and a conical reduced end with a discharge aperture therein, a valve normally seated in said reduced end, a spreader member in the discharge aperture below said valve and adapted to lift said valve when pressed sufficiently inward, a stem from said valve extending longitudinally in the casing, a guide surrounding said stem and secured to the walls of the casing, a spring surrounding said stem and in suitable connection between the stem and closed end of the casing, whereby to normally hold said valve seated.

4. A device of the character described comprising a cylindrical reservoir casing having a conical reduced end provided with a discharge aperture therein, a valve seated on the walls of said reduced end, a fluid spreader member in said end adapted to open said valve when desired, the other end of the casing being open, a stem on said valve and extending beyond the open end of the casing, a guide sleeve surrounding the stem and secured to the walls of the casing, a cap detachably secured in the open end of the casing and having a socket therein to receive the extending end of the valve stem, a gasket in said socket to surround the Valve stem and provide a packing therefor, a coil spring surrounding said stem and having connection between the stem and the cap to normally hold the valve seated.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GREGORY (rERD()M. Witnesses:

HARRY WV. RICHARDSON, H. G. MILLER. 

